Octave-coupler for organs



Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

E. G. LOMBARD.

All DREW B GRAHAM. PNOTOumQwAsn INGTON, D C,

(No Model.)

OGTAVE COUPLER FOR ORGANS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDlVARD C. LOMBARD, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO OLIVER C. CARTER, OF DEEP RIVER, CONNECTICUT.

OCTAVE-COUPLER FOR ORGANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 557,843, dated April 7, 1896.

Application filed April 1, 1895. $erial No. 543,996. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD C. LOMBARD, of Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Octave-Couplers for Organs; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a plan view of an octave-coupler constructed in accordance with my invention Fig. 2, a view of the device in transverse section on the line a h of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a view in transverse section on the line 0 (Z of Fig. 1.

My invention relates to an improvement in octave-couplers for organs, the object being to produce, at a low cost for manufacture, a simple and effective construction, which shall be durable in use and greatly reduce the number of parts employed, compared with prior constructions.

lVith these ends in view my invention consists in an octave-coupler having certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as many long diagonally-arranged parallel grooves A are formed in the upper face of the coupler-board A as there are coupling-wires B, the said grooves being adapted in depth to let the wires down into the board, so as to be flush with, or very slightly below, the face thereof, and extending diagonally through the opposite edges of the board. For retaining the wires in place in the said grooves I employ a cover 0, practically corresponding in dimensions to those of the board A, to which it is secured, as shown, by screws 0. The outer edge of the said cover is constructed with as many notches C as there are wires, these notches being inclined to the edge of theboard, the upper surface of which is also chamfered or cut away to form grooves C in line with the notches, which grooves are designed to receive the outer or key-lever ends a of the coupling-wires. On the other hand, the inner edge of the board is constructed with as many notches C as there are wires, the notches 0 being located at a right angle to the edge of the board and provided for the reception and clearance of the inner or tracker ends a of the wires. The said coupler-board is hinged to a hinge-strip I), which is permanently mounted in the organ-case in any approved manner. The said inner ends a of the wires extend rearward over the hinge-strip and project beyond the same, their said projecting. ends being normally engaged with the upper ends of the trackers, which may be of any approved construction, and one of which is in dicated in Fig. 2. (Designated by letterD On the other hand, the forward ends a of the coupling-wires are arranged in the usual manner for engagement and depression through the medium of the key-levers, which are not shown, but which will be sufficiently represented for the present purpose by the button D.

It will be understood that in the normal position of the coupler-board, which is a horizontal position, the forward ends a of the coupling-wires lie down in the grooves C in the cover C,while the inner ends a of the wire engage with the upper ends of the trackers.

In bringing the octave-coupler into use the coupler-board, together with its cover and all the coupling-wires, are lifted in any approved manner into an inclined position, the couplerboard turning on its hinge connection with thehinge-strip. As the coupler-board is lifted the inner ends a of the wires are pressed down upon the trackers, which virtually form points of purchase from which the wires are turned, so as to elevate their outer ends a into range with the buttons of the key-levers. 'When, now, any one of the keys is operated, it will act through its keylever and button to positively depress the outer end a of one of the coupling-wires, and hence depress the inner end a" thereof with sufficient force to depress its tracker and open the valve, which the same operates.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that I secure the coupling-wires in place by appropriately grooving the coupler-board and closing the grooves therein by means of a cover which is notched for the reception and clearance of the ends of the wires. I

would have it understood that I do not limit myself to forming coupling-wires in the particular form shown, nor to grooving and notching the coupler-board and cover in the exact manner set forth, and I would therefore have it understood that I hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters board having its upper face constructed with diagonally-arranged parallel grooves to receive the said Wires, and a cover applied to the said board for retaining the wires in the said grooves, and having its outer edge constructed With a series of outwardly-openinginclined notches for receiving and clearing the bent outer ends of the wires, and its upper face constructed with a corresponding series of inclined grooves merging into the said notches, and permitting the said ends of the wires to lie down in them, and the said cover having its inner edge constructed with a series of outwardly-opening notches for re ceiving and clearing the bent inner ends of the wires, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDIVARD C. LOMBARD.

I'Vitnesses FRED C. EARLE, LILLIAN D. KELsEY. 

